GB2198701A - Label-web assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A label web assembly comprises a backing strip (10) of laminar material treated on at least one face with a silicone and split longitudinally to form at least two sub-strips (10A, 10B). Labels (12) are spaced along the strip (10) and adhered to the sub-strips by areas (14) of pressure-sensitive adhesive each less than the width of the corresponding sub-strip, the face of each label directed towards the backing strip being printed (26) and having a clear protective layer (22) between the printed face and the adhesive areas. A method of making such a label-web assembly is also described which includes laminating together the component parts and also die-cutting to form individual labels. Apparatus for overprinting and dispensing the labels is also disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

LABELS, METHOD QE MANUFACTURING LABELS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LABELS This invention relates to labels, a method of manufacturing such labels and apparatus for applying the labels to packaging.

Use of self-adhesive labels which require mere application of pressure to the label when placed on the outside of an article is conventional practice and is a highly developed art. Whatever the size of label, actual applying of the label with a printed outer surface and an adhesive substrate presents relatively little difficulty when the article to be labelled is plane or has a regularly contoured surface such as cylindrical. Whenever the article to be labelled has a surface with a curvature in two dimensions the obvious problem arises that a plane label, however flexible, cannot properly conform to that surface.Consequently any indicia or any other form of printing on the label becomes distorted so that at a point of sale the appearance is unattractive and the indicia may be illegible. Furthermore, the wrinkles in the externally applied label increases the risk that the label will be torn or damaged during handling which may mean that important indicia are lost, obscured or at least that the label becomes even more unattractive.

Another, equally if not more difficult problem to solve is that many meat and other food packs require labelling to take place at temperatures below zero and down to -500C, Although especially developed adhesives have assisted in overcoming this aspect of the problem, nevertheless these adhesives do not satisfactorily solve the problem where the labels are large and the article to be labelled is curved in two dimensions.

The application of a self-adhesive label to the outside of a pack or package is standard practice but where the pack final wrapping is transparent, some advantage arises if the label is applied to the inside surface of transparent wrapping material where it is protected and, moreover, the need for use of a complete covering layer of adhesive on the label is eliminated. However, such an alternative approach presents problems both with the label, its method of manufacture and the apparatus for applying the label to the wrapping.

According to the present invention in one aspect there is provided a label-web assembly comprising a backing strip of laminar flexible material treated on at least one face with a release agent and split longitudinally to form at least two sub-strips, and labels spaced along the length of the web and adhered to the sub-strip by areas of pressure-sensitive adhesive less than the width of the corresponding sub-strip, the face of each label directed towards the release agent treated face of the backing strip being printed and having a clear protective layer between the printed surface and the adhesive areas.

According to the present invention in a second aspect there is provided a method of manufacturing a label-web assembly according to the first aspect of the invention comprising the steps of applying the adhesive areas to the backing strip, applying the protective layer to the backing strip, the protective layer being fully coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on its face directed away from the backing strip; in a separate operation printing laminar material which will subsequently form the individual labels, laminating, by the adhesive of the protective layer, the printed label material to the subassembly of the backing strip and the adhesive-coated protective layer and die-cutting only the label material and the protective layer together with its adhesive layer to form individual labels which remain adhered to the backing strip by the said areas of adhesive.

According to the present invention in a still further aspect there is provided apparatus for overprinting and applying labels to the inner surface of the transparent wrapping of a pack, the labels being mounted initially on a label web assembly in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprising means for mounting a reel of the label-web assembly, drive means for drawing the web assembly through the apparatus, means for sensing the presence of successive individual labels, means, downstream of the sensing means, for peeling one sub-strip of the backing strip from the web assembly and rewinding that sub-strip whereby to expose a zone of each label for overprinting, but leaving the label adhered by at least one of said adhesive areas to the remaining substrip, hot-foil printing means for overprinting in said zone of each label, dispense edge means downstream of the printing means at which successive labels are peeled from the remaining sub-strip, pneumatic label-applying means arranged to hold labels received from the dispense edge and to apply them printed face down to the inner surface of the transparent wrapping of a pack by means of the said areas of adhesive on the printed face of each individual label.

The various aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a label web assembly in accordance with one aspect of the present invention showing a single label in position; Figure 2 illustrates in outline a method of manufacturing a label web assembly in accordance with Figure 1; Figure 3 is an outline diagram illustrating an alternative method of manufacturing a label web assembly substantially in accordance with Figure 1; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view further illustrating the manufacture of a label web assembly in accordance with the method of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a subsidiary aspect of the method of manufacturing a label web assembly in accordance with Figures 2 and 4;; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating part of an apparatus for overprinting and dispensing individual labels from a label web assembly in accordance with Figure 1; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating the path of a hotfoil web through a hot-foil printer forming part of the apparatus of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a front elevation of a part of the apparatus illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 by which labels are actually applied to the inner surface of a pack; Figure 9 is an outline plan view of the apparatus of Figures 6 to 8: Figure 10 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 6, but also showing, in outline features shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9.

Referring now to Figure 1, the preferred form of label web assembly comprises a backing strip of paper 10 coated on at least one side with a silicone release agent and this backing strip is divided into two sub-strips of unequal width 10A and iOB. The preferred backing strip is a 67 gm. honey glassine release paper, the release agent being a silicone.

The label 12 is circular but, of course, any desired shape can be selected according to requirements. The material of the label itself should be a high quality label paper and a preferred form is 90 gm. white blade-coated label paper which provides for the possibility of high quality colour printing. Although it is not possible to illustrate a protective layer in a plan view, such a layer is applied after the label has been printed, the preferred protective layer being of clear polypropylene film or foil adhered to the printed face of the label by a permanent acrylic adhesive.

During the manufacturing process of the label web assembly, the clear polypropylene layer is adhered to a backing. Preferably the protective layer is initially in the form of an assembly of a 12 micron gloss clear polypropylene adhered to an 87 gm. bleached kraft paper by a permanent acrylic adhesive. However, permanancy of the adhesive does not apply to the adhesion between the kraft paper or other backing and the clear polypropylene film but to the adhesion between the printed label surface and the clear foil.

The printed and protected face of the label has two stripes or bands 14,16 of pressure-sensitive adhesive by which the label, when applied to the transparent wrapping material of the final pack, provides for light adhesion such that the constraints of the inclusion of the actual item to be packed will give rise to a minimum of wrinkles both in the label and in the transparent wrapping material. Such problems will arise, of course, only if the surface curves in more than one plane. The adhesive of the stripes 14, 16 is one of those which are not substantially adversely affected by low temperatures.

Labels in accordance with the invention are particularly suited to use with food products owing to the presence of the transparent layer which covers the printed area of the label. A space 18 is left clear on the printed label surface to enable overprinting, The backing strip 10 also has several rows of longitudinal perforations 20 to permit any air trapped between the layers during the manufacturing method, to escape.

Referring now to Figures 2, 4 and 5, the method by which a label web assembly in accordance with the first aspect of the invention is manufactured will now be described.

Figures 2 and 3 are both highly diagrammatic, with layer thicknesses greatly exaggerated; moreover, for clarity the reversal step is omitted so that the right hand half merely shows a fragment of the complete laminate in the orientation for die-cutting. One part of the assembly comprises the backing paper strip 10 divided longitudinally, but not necessarily centrally, the two spaced bands or stripes of adhesive 14 which are initially applied to the backing paper strips, the thin transparent layer (here indicated at 22) which is held by the stripes of adhesive and finally an overall layer of permanent adhesive 24 which, as illustrated, is exposed at one stage of the manufacturing method.Initially the transparent foil or film 22, the overall coating of adhesive 24 and a further backing paper (not shown) treated with a silicone are laminated to the basic backing paper by the two stripes of adhesive 14. At an upstream stage to that illustrated in Figure 2, the further backing paper is removed from the overall adhesive layer and is rewound for scrap.

Separately, and not necessarily concurrently, the layer 12 of the web assembly which forms the actual printed label is colour printed as indicated at 26, for example with seven colours, in order to produce a high quality picture. The space 18, where there is no printing, is, of course, left free for over-printing purposes. The two sub-assemblies are married together to form the complete laminate and as will be apparent the printed face of the label paper receives the protective layer in the form of the transparent film 22 and the use of an acrylic permanent adhesive 24 ensures that the printing is protected at all times, that a good appearance is maintained and any risk, where food products are concerned, of leaching of the ink which might contaminate the food products is wholly eliminated.

At a downstream station the label layer 12 together with its protective film 22 is die-cut to produce the required final shape of the labels, for example circular. The diecutting is carefully controlled to ensure that penetration of the cutter member (not shown) does not extend beyond the protective layer.

As will be apparent from Figures 4 and 5, the main backing layer strip of silicone treated paper receives the two adhesive stripes 14 and downstream of this application the two lines of perforations 20 are formed by perforating wheels 28 and a slitter wheel 30 serves to divide the backing strip into the two sub-strips 10A and 10B. The sequence illustrated is preferred, but the slitter wheel may act simultaneously with the perforating wheels or may be disposed upstream of the slitter wheel.

Downstream of the slitter wheel 30 the transparent protective layer 22 is applied including its own further backing layer and the sub-assembly is then rewound to form a new reel 32. The non-adhesive face of the protective film is applied and pressed by suitable rollers on to the two stripes of adhesive 14 and the latter, in the final labels is preferentially taken up by the protective layer and leaves the backing strips free of adhesive.

As is illustrated in Figure 5, printing takes place at a number of stations 34 to achieve the desired picture and/or indicia; the rewound reel 32 taken from the stage illustrated in Figure 4 is unwound in reverse and at the same time the backing strip (not shown) of the transparent layer is removed so that the overall layer of permanent adhesive 24 contacts the printed face 26 of the label paper layer 12. It may be appropriate in certain instances to dry the ink artificially, or alternatively to allow a greater spacing than is apparent from the diagram to enable the ink to dry naturally before the adhesive coated transparent film or foil 22 is itself laminated to the label layer.

While the method described in relation to Figures 2, 4 and 5 results in a particularly advantageous product because the ink - is fully protected by the transparent adhesive film, the two-stage aspect is disadvantageous from the cost standpoint. Figure 3 illustrates an alternative method in which the transparent foil is omitted and one of the printing stages of the printing paper is omitted and in substitution an applicator is provided which applies a layer of varnish immediately after the printing inks of the printing process are adequately dry. As before the main backing paper 10 is split and perforated and has two stripes of pressure-sensitive adhesive 14 applied, these being protected by an additional backing paper 40 preferably and typically a 100 gm. bleached kraft paper silicone treated on one face only. The latter is, of course, directed towards the adhesive stripes 14 and is removed when this laminate sub-assembly is passed through the main colour printing machine (not shown), the removal taking place immediately after the varnish layer applied by the printing machine has been fully cured. Thereafter, as in the method described in relation to Figures 2, 4 and 5 the actual labels are die-cut from the label paper and the appearance of the labels, is substantially the same as for the method of Figures 2, 4 and 5. In Figure 5 the die-cutting takes place from below as indicated by the arrow A, so that no reversal is required.

Labels in accordance with the preferred embodiment have the advantage over conventional labels which are applied externally of a pack or package in that they are fully protected from damage, the risk that they become wrinkled on a package which has two dimensional curvature is substantially reduced, the use of a split backing enables, very readily, application of an overprinted indicia such as a price or a retailer's coding. The labels, moreover, because of their capability of being applied to the inner surface of a transparent pack, substantially avoid the problems of low temperatures labelling. In a modification two spaces may be provided for overprinting, one adjacent each side of the label, and in this event the backing strip will be split to form three sub-strips and an additional stripe or band of adhesive will thus be provided.Further blank spaces may be provided, with corresponding backing sub-strips and adhesive bands or stripes, when desired.

To enable the labels to be applied the third aspect of the invention has been developed which takes the form of an overprinting and applicator apparatus which is a substantial modification of apparatus manufactured and marketed by the present applicants under the name nVEGA HOT FOIL" (VEGA is a registered trade mark). The machine will now be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10.

A reel of labels 50 prepared in accordance with the method of Figures 2, 4 and 5 or Figure 3 is mounted on a reel holder 52 and unwinding is controlled by an anti-snatch roller 54 mounted on an arm 56 pivotal about the axis of rotation of the reel and spring biased to apply a modest tension to the web assembly 10,12 as it is unwound.

The web assembly next passes round a part of the periphery of an entry roller 58 to a brake mechanism 60, over a guide roller 62 and, after a predetermined spacing, through sensing cells 64 which are held on a mounting 66, itself carried by an adjustment screw 68 which provides for fine adjustment of the location of the sensing cells.

The latter are set to detect either the leading or trailing edge of each successive label.

Just downstream of the sensing cells 64 a roller 70 is provided which serves to peel off from the labels one of the sub-strips 10A of the backing strip 10 and this is guided by further guide rollers 72,74 to a waste rewind reel 76 which is appropriately driven synchronously with a second rewind reel 78 which takes up the remaining substrip 10B of the backing. However, the second strip is only detached from the labels after overprinting has been completed as will be described hereinafter.

Downstream of the roller 70 the remaining backing substrip 10B and the labels pass vertically through a print station 80 where a hot-foil printing chase 82 serves accurately to overprint the label at the appropriate space 18 thereon under the control of the label sensing cells 64. Immediately downstream of the printing chase 82 a further guide roller 84 directs the web assembly to a guide roller 86 immediately upstream of a dispense edge assembly 88.

The dispense edge assembly 88 is adjustable within limits to take into account different size labels and the assembly includes further guide rollers 90,92; the dispense edge 94 itself is of generally conventional form and a pneumatic under-blow unit 96 serves to prevent the labels from drooping when they are partially dispensed from the remaining sub-strip 10B of the backing. Although not shown in Figure 6, immediately after dispensing from the edge 94 the labels are taken up by suction heads which subsequently deliver the labels into a precisely predetermined location on a transparent wrapping member which may be in the form of a pouch arranged to receive a food item such as meat, the pouch being subsequently closed by conventional vacuum techniques.

The second backing sub-strip 10B after peeling of the labels, is rewound on to the rewind reel 78 already mentioned and the backing sub-strip also passes through a drive roller 98 with a soft rubber sponge face which cooperates with a nip roller 100 to ensure that an adequate proportion of the sub-strip is wrapped around the drive roller to provide traction for the whole of the web assembly 10,12.

The following features of the apparatus are to be particularly noted: 1. The web reel mounting 52 is disposed well above the remainder of the apparatus and is readily accessible; 2. The anti-snatch roller 54 is mounted on an arm which is pivoted about the axis of rotation of the web reel; 3. The label sensing cells 64 are readily accessible and adjustment is possible from the front of the machine; 4. The label web asembly passes through the print station along a vertical path and threading of the label web assembly is facilitated; 5. Drooping of labels being dispensed is prevented by the under-blow unit 96; 6. The two rewind reels 76 and 78 are driven synchronously to ensure precisely matched linear velocity of the backing sub-strips; 7. The hot-foil printer 82 forms a convenient unit with the boundary defined generally by the web assembly and backing strip path.

Since the apparatus makes use of hot-foil printing it is necessary to incorporate a supply of hot-foil and this will now be described with reference to Figure 7. A boss 110 receives a drum of hot-foil 112 and this is unwound and passes round a foil feed roller 114 co-operating with a nip roller 116 immediately upstream of the printing chase 82 which is orientated so that the label-web assembly follows a vertical path. At the upper end of the printing chase, the foil 112 passes round a small diameter roller 118 and it is then fed between the chase 82 and the printing platen 120 where the control system ensures that the chase is intermittently operated to print successive labels precisely at the appropriate space thereon. Actuation of the chase is effected by a cam 122 driven by a part of the drive train of the apparatus. A further cam 123 serves to index the hot foil.Downstream of the chase further guide rollers 124 lead to a rewind intermittently driven foil support disc 126.

The chase is mounted on a heater block assembly 128 which is pivotally mounted at 130 to assist threading the hotfoil web and also the label web assembly 10,12.

To enable a high rate of productivity two printer and dispense applicators are mounted together and are driven by a common motor. This is best illustrated in outline in Figures 8 9 and 10. Four suction heads 132 are provided, each of which receives a label from the dispense edge 94 of one of the two apparatus. The heads are mounted on pneumatic actuators 134 so that when all four heads have received a label with the adhesive stripes 14 facing downwardly, the heads are moved down, and by virtue of the adhesive stripes referred to hereinbefore the labels are applied in their final position ready to receive the article to be packed, the vacuum being broken immediately contact is made and overall control is sufficiently accurate to ensure that the transparent material is not punctured. Each head has, in its labelreceiving face, a plurality of fine apertures by which it can apply vacuum to successive labels.

In more detail, the heads are mounted on carriers 136 provided with vertical adjustment and the carrier for each head is itself slidable horizontally on pairs of rails 138 or guides extending transversely of the two apparatus.

Appropriate stops 1 140 are provided at either end but basically the lateral motion of the heads is controlled by a pneumatically-operated cylinder which is itself controlled to move the heads successively so that they receive a label dispensed by the dispense edge and, when both pairs of heads 132 have received a label, the vertical pneumatic actuators 134 push down the heads until the label is precisely located, in relation to both axes of the product to be introduced, on the transparent wrapping material.

Below these four heads a conveyor arrangement 144 is provided which carries the wrapping material, preferably formed into pouches by deformation when hot, and all four heads 132 each carrying a label, printed face downwards, are in their locations where they are closest together, that is as illustrated in Figure 8 for the two left hand heads. The downwards motion is synchronized for all four heads and the control system provides for adjustment such that the vertical location of the label at the point of delivery is precisely matched to avoid puncturing the transparent wrapping material. By virtue of the adhesive stripes 14 on the printed face of the label and the control system which cuts off the vacuum when the end of the stroke is reached, the heads can be immediately retracted ready for the next cycle of operation.

The drive of the two overprinting and label dispensing apparatus is provided by a single electric motor 150 (Fig.

9) and an appropriate, generally conventional gear wheel drive train is provided both to the print mechanism and to the drive roller of the label web assembly. Pneumatic controls are supplied from an external source, preferably at 80 p.s.i. (5.6 Kg/sq.cm).

The plan view of the apparatus and associated conveyor are illustrated in Figure 9 in outline and it will again be apparent that the suction heads 132 are movable laterally of the apparatus on the rails 138 between locations at which they receive labels from the overprinting and dispensing apparatus to locations at which they are immediately above respective lines 152 of wrapping material which is to receive labels on the inner surface.

The lateral motion of the heads and associated cylinders is effected by pneumatic actuators (not shown) disposed parallel to the rails. The control system, details of which are conventional, is integrated with the conveyor and sufficient time is allowed so that immediately after the labels have been placed on the inner surface of the wrapping for the package, the article to be wrapped can be placed by an operator in the wrapping at an immediately downstream station.The control system ensures that the amount of vacuum needed at any given stage of the cycle of the operation of the heads is appropriately matched The control system also provides the following functions: a) synchronization of the overprinting with the location of a label at the printing station; b) intermittent drive of the label web assembly through clutches interposed between the drive motor and the drive rollers 98,100 and the rewind rollers 76,78; c) matching of the lateral motion of the heads 132 so that a head is present when a label is dispensed from the dispense edge 94; d) temperature of the chase 82 of the print assembly is controlled.

Since the parts of the apparatus have been described hereinbefore generally in the sequence in which any given label is overprinted, dispensed and applied, a detailed explanation of the manner of operation appears superfluous. Nevertheless, the operation will be outlined. The labels on their backing are drawn through the apparatus by the drive roller 98, the intermittent operation of which is controlled by a clutch driven by the motor 150 common to the two apparatus. The anti-snatch roller 54 and the brake 60 together ensure that the nature of the motion causes no over-run.

The sensing cells 64 co-operate through the control system to actuate the chase 82 and the hot foil ribbon through fine adjustment of the cams 122, 123 and, in the meanwhile, the synchronously driven rewind roller 76 rewinds the first sub-strip 10A of the web assembly backing.

After overprinting as the labels follow a vertical path past the case 82 the various path guides lead to the dispense edge 94, where the remaining sub-strip 10B is removed and passes to the rewind roller 78. Dispensed labels which may be quite large (the example shown has a diameter of 95mm) are held up by the underblow jet 96 and are picked up by one of the heads 132. When all four heads have received a label, the actuators 134 plunge the heads on the inner surface of the wrapping; the heads are withdrawn upwardly ready for the next cycle.

Claims (20)

1. A label-web assembly comprising a backing strip of laminar flexible material treated on at least one face with a release agent and split longitudinally to form at least two sub-strips, and labels spaced along the length of the web and adhered to the sub-strip by areas of pressure-sensitive adhesive less than the width of the corresponding sub-strip, the face of each label directed towards the release agent treated face of the backing strip being printed and having a clear protective layer between the printed surface and the adhesive areas.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein each label is circular and the areas of adhesive on the protective layer are rectilinear and extend parallel to the length dimension of the web.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sub-strips are of unequal width.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the backing strip is of honey glassine paper.

5. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the protective layer of each label is co-terminous with the area of the label.

6. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the protective layer is a transparent polypropylene film or foil and is adhered to the material of each label by a permanent acrylic adhesive.

7. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the protective layer is in the form of a clear varnish.

8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesive of the protective film directed away from each label is capable of accommodating low temperatures.

9. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the backing strip has several rows of longitudinal perforations so that any air trapped between the components of the web assembly during manufacture can escape.

10. A label-web assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of manufacturing a label-web assembly according to any one of the preceding claims comprising the steps of applying the adhesive areas to the backing strip, applying the protective layer to the backing strip, the protective layer being fully coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on its face directed away from the backing strip; in a separate operation printing laminar material which will subsequently form the individual labels, laminating, by the adhesive of the protective layer, the printed label material to the sub-assembly of the backing strip and the adhesive-coated protective layer and die-cutting only the label material and the protective layer together with its adhesive layer to form individual labels which remain adhered to the backing strip by the said areas of adhesive.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the protective layer provided with a permanent adhesive on one face is initially protected by a further backing strip, the latter being peeled away just before the protective layer is applied to the printed material of the labels.

13. A method according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the labels are die-cut to their final shape after the lamination of the components of the web.

14. A method of manufacturing a label web assembly according to claim 7, comprising the steps of applying the adhesive areas to the said backing strip, and providing a further backing strip to protect the adhesive layers; in a separate operation printing laminar material which will subsequently form individual labels, applying a layer of clear varnish to the printed surface after the printing ink has dried by a printing process, drying the varnish, removing said further back strips and applying the adhesive areas to the varnished surface of the printed laminar material whereby to provide the label web assembly.

15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein the printing inks are artificially dried.

16. Apparatus for overprinting and applying labels to the inner surface of the transparent wrapping of a pack, the labels being mounted intitially on a label web assembly in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 10, the apparatus comprising means for mounting a reel of the label-web assembly, drive means for drawing the web assembly through the apparatus, means for sensing the presence of successive individual labels, means, downstream of the sensing means, for peeling one sub-strip of the backing strip from the web assembly and rewinding that sub-strip whereby to expose a zone of each label for overprinting, but leaving the label adhered by at least one of said adhesive areas to the remaining sub-strip, hot-foil printing means for overprinting in said zone of each label, dispense edge means downstream of the printing means at which successive labels are peeled from the remaining sub-strip, pneumatic label-applying means arranged to hold labels received from the dispense edge and to apply them printed face down to the inner surface of the transparent wrapping of a pack by means of the said areas of adhesive on the printed face of each individual label.

17. Apparatus for overprinting and applying labels to the inner surface of the transparent wrapping of a pack, the labels being mounted intitially on a label web assembly in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 10, substantially as here inbe fore described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

18. Apparatus for applying self-adhesive labels to wrapping material formed into pouches, the apparatus comprising conveyor means for bringing the wrapping material to a labelling station, a plurality of suction heads each arranged to receive on the non-adhesive face, a self-adhesive label, means for moving the heads synchronously to wrapping material on the conveyor, and means to control the vacuum in the suction heads such that suction is effective as a label is offered to the corresponding head and is broken immediately the label has been applied to the wrapping.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 comprising means mounting the suction heads between a station at which labels are offered and a station disposed horizontally thereof from which the heads move to apply the labels.

20. Apparatus for applying self-adhesive labels substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.